By CHIEF ROBERT DUTTCHEN, Corman Park Police Service
Around the dinner hour on June 22, a Corman Park Police Service (CPPS) officer was transiting to the office on 51st Street in Saskatoon when a vehicle’s appearance and manner of driving caught the officer’s attention. A traffic stop was initiated, and the driver was given a roadside screening device resulting in an ‘alert’ reading. The driver was issued a three-day licence suspension, and their vehicle was impounded for 60 days. As a result of the officer’s initial observations the individual received multiple offence notices as well for their manner of driving and the state of disrepair of the vehicle.
On the morning of June 23 an observant Sheriff’s officer observed a suspicious vehicle travelling toward Saskatoon on Highway 11. A call was placed to the RCMP who broadcast the vehicle over the radio and the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) were alerted. A CPPS officer was able to get in a position to observe the vehicle and broadcast his observations. What followed was a masterful intervention led by the RCMP in concert with SPS and CPPS to contain the vehicle without a pursuit occurring and take the driver into custody. Pursuits, particularly on crowded streets during the week, are a high-risk proposition that put the public, the suspect and police in needless danger. Wherever possible, police seek to use pre-pursuit interventions to avoid a pursuit. The coordinated effort in this instance is an excellent example of how frontline officers work together to reduce the risk stolen vehicles can pose to the motoring public.
June 24 and 25 saw more high school students from schools in and around Saskatoon to cut class and party. A smaller police presence was deployed, and several offence notices were issued and a large quantity of alcoholic beverages were poured out. Once again, the youth left a mess on the beach. Police will be debriefing all three of the events with a view to curbing the litter at similar events in the future.
Some regular readers may remember the goats that got away from the CPPS article in May. Well, the goats’ owner thought they could get away with not going to court, but the judge was not impressed. As a result of their failure to appear, an arrest warrant was obtained. On the afternoon of June 25, the owner was tracked down, re-arrested and given a second court appearance date for the ‘get away goats’.
Friday afternoon of June 26, a CPPS member on patrol’s attention was drawn to a vehicle with an obscured plate. The member initiated a traffic stop and found the vehicle with three occupants, one of whom was a child in a car seat that was not properly restrained. The member offered to show the parent how to properly secure the child within the seat. When he opened the back door, he observed what appeared to be a firearm, completely changing the complexion of the stop. Once ensuring everyone was in custody, he examined the weapon to ensure it was in fact a real firearm. Wanting to ensure it was, he contacted his supervisor, who is a recognized firearms expert, and the supervisor attended. The weapon was confirmed to be real, the male occupant who was prohibited from possessing firearms took ownership of it and he was transported to the Martensville RCMP Detachment where he was processed and released with a court date with a date to appear in court. This is yet another reminder that there is no such thing as a normal traffic stop. Every stop has the potential to include multiple dimensions and what an officer thinks is just a trivial moving violation can always end up as much more.
In the early morning hours of June 27, a CPPS member initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle on Township Road 393 and Range Road 3053 due to the vehicle’s manner of driving. At the roadside a demand for a breath sample was made after an open liquor bottle was observed in the vehicle. The test registered an ‘alert’ reading and the driver was given a 3-day licence suspension, and the vehicle was impounded for 60 days.
In the afternoon that same day, CPPS received a broadcast description from the RCMP of a vehicle that had fled from members of the Craik RCMP detachment. The report indicated that the vehicle had twice fled from the RCMP at excessively high rates of speed. The CPPS member took up a position to covertly monitor Highway 11. They observed the suspect vehicle travelling at 132 km/h. Knowing the vehicle’s driving history the member did not attempt to stop it instead, opting to use a distant follow maintaining observation of the vehicle from a long way off. The vehicle turned onto Grasswood Road, and the driver pulled over to relieve himself. This was the window police needed to close the distance on the vehicle and block it in. The driver was taken into custody and conveyed to the Saskatoon detachment where he was processed and released on a notice to appear in court. His vehicle was impounded in relation to the manner of driving. The entire incident was another example of how strategic thinking avoided this driver taking off a third time from police at a high rate of speed. By using patience, time and distance police were able to close in on the suspect when he couldn’t run.
As summer road traffic begins to increase expect to see marked and unmarked CPPS vehicles out patrolling RM highways, Township Roads and Range Roads. All CPPS vehicles are equipped with patrol speed radar systems. Enjoy your travels this summer and remember that following the posted speed limit has been shown to reduce you chance of a speed related accident.